Biography

Dirk Koetter is entering his third season as the Falcons offensive coordinator in 2014. In his first season with Atlanta, the Birds offense soared to new heights. In Koetter’s first two years he has helped QB Matt Ryan take the next step in his evolution and has posted his two best completion percentages of his career in 2012 and 2013.

Last season, Koetter’s offense assisted Ryan through a season that saw a number of his key weapons go down with injury. Despite key offensive players missing several games, Ryan continued to cement himself as the best quarterback in franchise history. Ryan surpassed his previous franchise highs in passing attempts (651) and completions (439), which he set in 2012 (615, att., 422 comp.). Ryan started all 16 games and in addition to setting new records in attempts and completions, he added 4,515 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. His 4,515 passing yards marked the third time in his career he surpassed 4,000 passing yards and also moved him to first place on the team’s all-time passing yardage list (23,192), supplanting Steve Bartkowski.

Koetter’s scheme also helped produce a new 1,000-yard receiver in sixth-year wide receiver Harry Douglas. He led the Falcons in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,067) with two touchdowns

The production of the Falcons offense and NFC-best 13-3 record led to TE Tony Gonzalez, WR Julio Jones and QB Matt Ryan all earning Pro Bowl berths. Gonzalez enjoyed his most productive season since joining the Falcons in 2009 by catching 93 passes for 930 yards with eight touchdowns en route to his 13th Pro Bowl appearance. Second-year wide receiver Julio Jones experienced a breakout year in 2012. Jones set career-best in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,198) and touchdowns (10).

The combination of Jones and WR Roddy White proved to be the NFL’s top receiving duo in the NFL in 2012. White led the team in receiving yards (1,351), while also hauling in 92 catches with seven touchdowns. Jones and White became the first Falcons teammates to post 1,000 receiving yards in the same season since wide receivers Tony Martin and Terance Martin in 1998. It also marked the fourth time in team history two players have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the same season. Jones and White’s totals for the 2012 season made them the most productive wide receiver tandem in the NFL and combined to post a league-high 2,549 yards.

Sixth-year signal caller Matt Ryan flourished under the guidance of Koetter in their first season together. Ryan set career and franchise single-season highs in passing yards (4,719), attempts (615), completions (422), touchdown passes (32) and completion percentage (68.6) while starting all 16 games. The combination of Koetter and Ryan guided the Falcons offense to the seventh ranked passing attack (292.0 ypg) in the NFL and the sixth ranked scoring offense (26.2 ppg) in the NFL. Ryan earned his second Pro Bowl appearance last season while leading Atlanta to the NFC Championship game for the first time in team history since 2004.

Koetter was hired prior to the start of the 2012 season because of his expertise in the passing game. He has 32 years of coaching experience, including five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007-11). He also brings with him 22 years of coaching expertise on the college level, including nine seasons as a college head coach (Arizona State, 2001-06 and Boise State, 1998-2000).

During the 2010 campaign, Koetter led an offense that saw RB Maurice Jones-Drew lead the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards on 343 carries. In five seasons in Jacksonville, he coached four different players to the six Pro Bowl selections, including Jones-Drew who earned three trips to the Pro Bowl.

Through Koetter’s first four years with the Jaguars the team’s offense ranked 13th in the NFL in total yards (338.6 per game), sixth in rushing (134.2), fifth in third-down conversions (43.0%), fifth in average per rush (4.5), ninth in fewest giveaways (101) and fifth with only 52 interceptions thrown.

From 2002-06, the Jaguars did not have an offensive player voted to the Pro Bowl. In just four seasons, Koetter coached four different players who have earned a total of five Pro Bowl selections during his stint as offensive coordinator. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and tight end Marcedes Lewis were both named to the Pro Bowl in 2010.

In his first season with the Jaguars, Koetter directed a record-breaking season by the offense as the unit set franchise records for points (411, 25.7 avg.), touchdowns (50), touchdown passes (28) and yards per play (5.6). The Jaguars ranked seventh in the NFL in offense (357.4), tied for the second-highest ranking in franchise history, totaled 400-plus yards in a team-record seven games and scored 24 or more points in 10 consecutive games for the first time in team history. Quarterback David Garrard in his first season as the starter ranked third in the NFL with a 102.2 passer rating and threw an NFL-low three interceptions. Garrard threw for a career-high 3,620 yards in 2008 including the first two 300-yard games of his career and set the single-season franchise record with 23 touchdown passes in 2010 despite missing two games.

Koetter led Arizona State to four bowl games in his six seasons and finished with a 40-34 record. While also serving as offensive coordinator, Koetter helped the Sun Devils average nearly 30 points per game over six seasons and the team was ranked in the top 20 in the nation in passing offense in five of his six seasons.

Koetter molded Arizona State’s all-time leading passer in Andrew Walter, its top career receiver in Derek Hagan and the top tight end in school history in Zach Miller. Walter, who played his final three seasons under Koetter, left as the Pac-10’s career leader for touchdown passes with 85, surpassing John Elway who threw for 77 touchdowns at Stanford from 1979-82. Hagan, who was a third-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2006, finished with a school-record 14 100-yard receiving games. Miller finished the 2006 season as the school’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards for a tight end and was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award.

In 2005, ASU finished second in the nation in total offense, averaging 519.1 yards per game and third in the nation with 373.4 passing yards per game. In 2004, Koetter led ASU to a 9-3 record and finished the season ranked 19th in the Associated Press Poll. After finishing 4-7 in his first season at ASU, Koetter directed the program to an 8-6 mark in 2002 and a berth in the Holiday Bowl.

Prior to taking over ASU, Koetter spent three seasons as head coach at Boise State where he compiled a 26-10 mark and two consecutive bowl victories. He was a two-time Big West Coach of the Year honoree and two-time conference champion.

A native of Pocatello, Idaho, Koetter played four seasons at Idaho State (1978-81) as the team won a Division I-AA national championship. He graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree the following year in athletic administration. Following his graduation, he became head coach at age 23 at Highland High School, where he compiled a career record of 19-4 and won the 1984 state championship.

Koetter spent the 1985 season as offensive coordinator at San Francisco State and from 1986-88 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas El-Paso. Prior to taking over at Boise State, Koetter served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Missouri from 1989-93 and offensive coordinator at Boston College (1994-95) and Oregon (1996-97).

Koetter, 55, and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Kaylee and Kendra, and two sons, Derek and Davis.

Dirk Koetter is entering his third season as the Falcons offensive coordinator in 2014. In his first season with Atlanta, the Birds offense soared to new heights. In Koetter’s first two years he has helped QB Matt Ryan take the next step in his evolution and has posted his two best completion percentages of his career in 2012 and 2013.

Last season, Koetter’s offense assisted Ryan through a season that saw a number of his key weapons go down with injury. Despite key offensive players missing several games, Ryan continued to cement himself as the best quarterback in franchise history. Ryan surpassed his previous franchise highs in passing attempts (651) and completions (439), which he set in 2012 (615, att., 422 comp.). Ryan started all 16 games and in addition to setting new records in attempts and completions, he added 4,515 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. His 4,515 passing yards marked the third time in his career he surpassed 4,000 passing yards and also moved him to first place on the team’s all-time passing yardage list (23,192), supplanting Steve Bartkowski.

Koetter’s scheme also helped produce a new 1,000-yard receiver in sixth-year wide receiver Harry Douglas. He led the Falcons in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,067) with two touchdowns

The production of the Falcons offense and NFC-best 13-3 record led to TE Tony Gonzalez, WR Julio Jones and QB Matt Ryan all earning Pro Bowl berths. Gonzalez enjoyed his most productive season since joining the Falcons in 2009 by catching 93 passes for 930 yards with eight touchdowns en route to his 13th Pro Bowl appearance. Second-year wide receiver Julio Jones experienced a breakout year in 2012. Jones set career-best in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,198) and touchdowns (10).

The combination of Jones and WR Roddy White proved to be the NFL’s top receiving duo in the NFL in 2012. White led the team in receiving yards (1,351), while also hauling in 92 catches with seven touchdowns. Jones and White became the first Falcons teammates to post 1,000 receiving yards in the same season since wide receivers Tony Martin and Terance Martin in 1998. It also marked the fourth time in team history two players have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the same season. Jones and White’s totals for the 2012 season made them the most productive wide receiver tandem in the NFL and combined to post a league-high 2,549 yards.

Sixth-year signal caller Matt Ryan flourished under the guidance of Koetter in their first season together. Ryan set career and franchise single-season highs in passing yards (4,719), attempts (615), completions (422), touchdown passes (32) and completion percentage (68.6) while starting all 16 games. The combination of Koetter and Ryan guided the Falcons offense to the seventh ranked passing attack (292.0 ypg) in the NFL and the sixth ranked scoring offense (26.2 ppg) in the NFL. Ryan earned his second Pro Bowl appearance last season while leading Atlanta to the NFC Championship game for the first time in team history since 2004.

Koetter was hired prior to the start of the 2012 season because of his expertise in the passing game. He has 32 years of coaching experience, including five seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2007-11). He also brings with him 22 years of coaching expertise on the college level, including nine seasons as a college head coach (Arizona State, 2001-06 and Boise State, 1998-2000).

During the 2010 campaign, Koetter led an offense that saw RB Maurice Jones-Drew lead the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards on 343 carries. In five seasons in Jacksonville, he coached four different players to the six Pro Bowl selections, including Jones-Drew who earned three trips to the Pro Bowl.

Through Koetter’s first four years with the Jaguars the team’s offense ranked 13th in the NFL in total yards (338.6 per game), sixth in rushing (134.2), fifth in third-down conversions (43.0%), fifth in average per rush (4.5), ninth in fewest giveaways (101) and fifth with only 52 interceptions thrown.

From 2002-06, the Jaguars did not have an offensive player voted to the Pro Bowl. In just four seasons, Koetter coached four different players who have earned a total of five Pro Bowl selections during his stint as offensive coordinator. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew and tight end Marcedes Lewis were both named to the Pro Bowl in 2010.

In his first season with the Jaguars, Koetter directed a record-breaking season by the offense as the unit set franchise records for points (411, 25.7 avg.), touchdowns (50), touchdown passes (28) and yards per play (5.6). The Jaguars ranked seventh in the NFL in offense (357.4), tied for the second-highest ranking in franchise history, totaled 400-plus yards in a team-record seven games and scored 24 or more points in 10 consecutive games for the first time in team history. Quarterback David Garrard in his first season as the starter ranked third in the NFL with a 102.2 passer rating and threw an NFL-low three interceptions. Garrard threw for a career-high 3,620 yards in 2008 including the first two 300-yard games of his career and set the single-season franchise record with 23 touchdown passes in 2010 despite missing two games.

Koetter led Arizona State to four bowl games in his six seasons and finished with a 40-34 record. While also serving as offensive coordinator, Koetter helped the Sun Devils average nearly 30 points per game over six seasons and the team was ranked in the top 20 in the nation in passing offense in five of his six seasons.

Koetter molded Arizona State’s all-time leading passer in Andrew Walter, its top career receiver in Derek Hagan and the top tight end in school history in Zach Miller. Walter, who played his final three seasons under Koetter, left as the Pac-10’s career leader for touchdown passes with 85, surpassing John Elway who threw for 77 touchdowns at Stanford from 1979-82. Hagan, who was a third-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2006, finished with a school-record 14 100-yard receiving games. Miller finished the 2006 season as the school’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards for a tight end and was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award.

In 2005, ASU finished second in the nation in total offense, averaging 519.1 yards per game and third in the nation with 373.4 passing yards per game. In 2004, Koetter led ASU to a 9-3 record and finished the season ranked 19th in the Associated Press Poll. After finishing 4-7 in his first season at ASU, Koetter directed the program to an 8-6 mark in 2002 and a berth in the Holiday Bowl.

Prior to taking over ASU, Koetter spent three seasons as head coach at Boise State where he compiled a 26-10 mark and two consecutive bowl victories. He was a two-time Big West Coach of the Year honoree and two-time conference champion.

A native of Pocatello, Idaho, Koetter played four seasons at Idaho State (1978-81) as the team won a Division I-AA national championship. He graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree the following year in athletic administration. Following his graduation, he became head coach at age 23 at Highland High School, where he compiled a career record of 19-4 and won the 1984 state championship.

Koetter spent the 1985 season as offensive coordinator at San Francisco State and from 1986-88 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Texas El-Paso. Prior to taking over at Boise State, Koetter served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Missouri from 1989-93 and offensive coordinator at Boston College (1994-95) and Oregon (1996-97).

Koetter, 55, and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Kaylee and Kendra, and two sons, Derek and Davis.